A Time to Heal
by Mystique007
Summary: Tamara has been through hell and back. Will she finally be able to let go of the past, and find love again?
1. Chapter 1

"Hey Tamara!" Someone yelled at me as I was getting into my car after work one hot July afternoon. I smiled when a familiar truck pulled into view and parked in the spot next to me. The driver jumped out and ran over to give me a bear hug.

"John, what are you doing here? I haven't seen you in so long, I thought maybe you had forgotten about me!" I exclaimed, as I tried to catch my breath from the hug.

"Forget about you? Naw…you know how crazy life on the road is. I have been worried about you, though. You're still done with what's-his-face, right?" He asked, and I could see the concern in his eyes.

"Yeah, we're done for good." I mumbled, while searching for something, anything on the pavement to focus on so I wouldn't have to meet his eyes. This was not a conversation I wanted to have right now, and thank goodness he picked up on that.

"Well hey, I know you're just getting off work and probably have things to do, and I need to get a little shopping done, but are you up for dinner tonight so we can catch up on everything that's happened since the last time we saw each other?" He asked.

That perked me up right away. Going out on the town with John was always a good time, plus I enjoyed the stares and the jealousy in women's faces when they saw me out with him. Yeah, I was pretty damn lucky to have a famous wrestler as a good friend, and I knew it.

"Sure!" I said, while trying to hide the excitement in my voice.

"Awesome! I will pick you up at 8. Oh, and dress up tonight…I'm taking you out in style." He smirked, and I knew that look in his eyes all too well.

"John, what do you have up your sleeve? You have that look, and it's making me nervous!"

He laughed, and flashed me a grin that just about took my breath away, Damn, the man was hot, but I was still too fragile to even think about that at the moment.

"Don't you worry about a thing, honey. I just want to show you a good time tonight is all, since I feel bad about not being around enough while you have been going through this rough patch." He said, and put an arm around my shoulder.

"Okay." I sighed. "I guess I had better get home and start getting ready then!"

"You do that, sweetie. I have to get ready too…it's not every day I get to take a beautiful woman out. I gots to make myself look all pretty for you!" He winked and that just did it for me. I burst out laughing and just couldn't stop.

"Cena, you crack me up." I said, and fake punched his shoulder. The man was so off the wall sometimes, but I loved it. You were never in a bad mood for long around him.

"Yeah, but you love me…I think." He said, as he jumped back in his truck.

I just rolled my eyes and waved as he pulled out. Maybe I did need this night out more than I thought. I had become a bit of a recluse lately and just maybe it was time to shake it off and get on with my life. I smiled as I started my car, rolled the windows down, blasted the stereo, and headed for home.


	2. Chapter 2

When I got home, I ran inside and straight to my closet. I hadn't been out in forever, and I wanted to look perfect.

"What in the world are you doing?"

I whipped around. My roommate Anna, was standing in my doorway with a confused look on her face.

"I'm going out tonight." Her eyes widened. "With John." Her mouth dropped open.

"He's back?" She asked.

"Yes. He caught me coming out of work and he will be here at 8 to pick me up for dinner."

"Well, honey let's get you ready to go then!" She stated, as she started pushing me towards the bathroom. "You go shower, and I'M picking out your outfit. You have been in hiding for the last year, so tonight I'm making sure you get out there in style!"

I smiled to myself. Anna had been there through everything with my ex, and I knew she was ready for me to get out and move on. It was time for her to have a life again too. She had given up a lot to stay in a deal with my depression and sobbing rants. I really couldn't ask for a better friend.

When I came out of the bathroom, she was waiting for me, holding a short, black, sleeveless dress covered in silver sequins, and a pair of hot pink stilletos.

"Those aren't mine!" I exclaimed.

"Nope. They're mine. You are going to ROCK this outfit tonight. Now get it on and I will help you with your hair and makeup. We only have an hour, so snap, snap missy!" She was definitely enjoying this, and I had to admit that I didn't mind the pampering in the least.

A pound of bobby pins, hairspray, and eyeliner later, and I finally felt ready to go. Just in time too, because the doorbell rang at that very moment.

"You stay in here, and I will get it." Anna said. "I want to see his face when you walk out of the bedroom."

I heard her open the door and heard John's voice asking her if I was there.

"Tamara! John is here!" It sounded like she was trying so hard to contain the excitement in her voice.

I walked out of the bedroom, and the look on John's face was absolutely priceless. He just stared at me for a few seconds before finally getting out a "Wow."

Anna started squealing, as she ran over to give me a hug. "We did it! " She whispered in my ear. "Go get you some!" She winked at me, and pushed me towards John.

"Now John, you have to promise to take care of my girl tonight. She deserves a fantastic night out."

"You can be sure I will" John told her, and held out his hand to me. "Ready to go?"

I smiled as I took his hand. "Yes."

My heart was fluttering a little bit as we got in his truck and pulled away. I had a feeling this was going to be a very good night.


	3. Chapter 3

As we pulled away from my house, John pulled out a cd. "Still have the same favorite band?" He asked.

"You bet...and what is my favorite song?"

"Hang on…I got this." He slipped the cd in the player and flipped through the tracks. I smiled when Shinedown's "Sound of Madness" came on.

We jammed out to the music until we pulled up to the restaurant. I gasped when I realized where we were. Tric, only the newest and most talked about restaurant in town. It had only been open a couple of months, and I hadn't been yet. The club-like atmosphere and neon lights made it a popular destination on the weekends.

"Are you serious?" I squealed. "How did you know I have been dying to try this out?"

"I just had a feeling. Plus, I have been hearing a lot about this place. Remember babe, only the best for you tonight." He said, and slid out of the truck. "Wait there."

I watched as he ran around, opened my door, and offered me his arm. "Are you ready to wow them?"

I nodded yes. I could really get used to this royal treatment. The man was going to spoil me so bad that nobody else could ever hope to compete. I sighed. We were just friends…always had been, and I didn't see that changing anytime soon, since his work kept him busy so much and my life and family were here.

We walked in the door and were shown to a private dining room. We sat down and the waiter asked for our drink orders.

"I'll have water." I told him.

"Oh, no," John stated. "No playing it safe tonight. I told you, only the best, remember? Bring us a bottle of your best champagne." He told the waiter.

"Right away sir."

John looked at me, and winked. I laughed and shook my head. "All right, you got me. I guess I do need to loosen up a bit."

"So really…how are you doing? You said you and Cliff were done. Have you heard from him at all since?" John asked me.

I sighed. I knew this was coming sooner or later. I hadn't told John much of anything at the time, but it looked as though he wasn't going to let me off that easy tonight. I really didn't want to dig up everything that happened with my ex, since I had worked so hard to get past it, but John deserved some answers.

"No, I haven't heard from him. I tried calling and texting a couple of times, but his new girlfriend answered and told me he didn't want to talk to me."

John shook his head. "That still blows my mind that he broke up with you over the phone after almost 3 years and didn't have the decency to face you like a man. But, I know there's more you're not telling me."

"Yes, but I don't know if it's even worth going into now anyway. It's all in the past and I'm never letting someone treat me like that again. I learned my lesson." I said, afraid to meet his eyes.

The waiter came back with our champagne at that moment, and we placed our food orders. After he walked away again, John turned back to me.

"Tamara, I need to know what he did to you. Please, I know it's difficult to talk about, but I'm your friend and I want to be here for you."

I could feel the tears starting to form, and I took a second to hold them back before I answered. "He was very abusive, pretty much throughout our entire relationship. It only became physical a couple of times, but there was a lot of emotional and psychological abuse, as well as sexual."

I could see the anger starting to build in John's face, but I knew I had to finish.

"He would throw a fit if he had to buy me a $3 meal at Taco Bell and if I didn't say thank you the minute we walked out the door, he would ignore me and not touch me the rest of the night. He called me every name in the book, and once he even threw me out of the car and left me walking in a part of town a girl had been found murdered in the week before. A cop picked me up that night and took me home."

"Oh babe…I wish you would have said something. I had no idea all this was going on. I knew you guys fought a lot, but things are starting to make a lot more sense now. Why didn't you ever say anything?" He asked me.

"I couldn't. I felt like it was my fault, like I was doing something to make him act that way. I didn't want to see that he was making those decisions on his own, because I loved him. But now, looking back, I'm just angry at myself more than anything for letting him put me through all of that. Let me tell you that will never happen again."

"Good, because you deserve so much better than that. The next time some guy wants to mess with you, you just send him my way. I'll make him think twice!" John pounded his fist on the table, and I couldn't help but giggle a little. The look on his face was so serious.

"Well, no worries there. I told myself I was taking time off from men. I haven't dated since, and I'm finally starting to feel better about myself again. It's been a good learning process." I told him.

Our food arrived, and we dug in. I knew the worst was over, and it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my chest. I could finally relax and enjoy the rest of my night out with my handsome wrestler.


	4. Chapter 4

The rest of dinner consisted of casual conversation. I loved that John and I could always pick up where we left off, no matter how long we had been apart. After the third glass of champagne, he finally let out a huge sigh, pushed back his chair, and shot me a mischievous grin.

"Are you ready for the next part of the evening?" He asked.

I giggled. The alcohol was starting to take effect, but I wasn't about to let him catch on to that. I fought back my laugh and flashed him what I hoped could pass as a sober smile. "You bet I am. Where are we going?"

"You should know by now it does no good to ask." He teased me. "It's a surprise!"

"Darn." I grumbled. "You sure know how to keep a girl in suspense."

He just winked at me and offered his arm. We walked outside, and instead of heading back to the car, he lead me in the opposite direction. I looked at him, confused.

"Where in the world are you taking me?" I asked him.

He said nothing, only pointed. I looked, and there across the street was a skating rink. I didn't even know those places still existed, let alone that there was one in my city. I was maybe 9 the last time I set foot in one, and I doubted I would be a very graceful picture on skates at this point.

"Seriously? That's where we're going? Are you trying to torture me here?" I shot at him, as he pulled me across the street.

"Yep, that's my plan. Come on, just roll with it."

I sighed. "What about my dress? I can't go skating in this thing!"

"Did I ask you too?" He pointed to a figure standing just outside the entrance. As we approached, I realized it was Anna…with a guy. My eyes widened as I recognized John's good friend and also wrestler, Randy Orton.

"Hey you two…there you are!" Anna exclaimed.

"Seriously dude, I thought we were going to have to send a search party for you." Randy teased as he slapped John on the back.

"Sorry guys." John apologized. "I sort of lost track of time."

Anna grabbed my arm and handed me a bag. "I brought you a change of clothes." She stated. "John told me about the plan when he picked you up. He wanted it to be a surprise. Come on, let's go in and we can talk while you change."

I glanced back at the guys, who were deep in conversation. "All right, let's go."

As we walked in the door, I saw a girl out of the corner of my eye who looked strangely familiar, but I couldn't place her. She disappeared around a corner before I could get a better look at her.

Anna noticed my hesitation. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing, I just thought I saw someone I knew."

"Oh, okay." She shrugged and practically dragged me into the bathroom. I knew she wanted a complete dish session and I was happy to oblige.


	5. Chapter 5

After we had changed and I filled Anna in on the happenings of the evening, we went back out and joined the guys.

"There you are. We thought maybe you fell in or something!" Randy joked.

"No, we were just talking…about you." Anna playfully shot back.

"All right ladies. Are you ready?" John asked as he held out his hand. I smiled and took the offered hand since I knew I would need something to hold on to. I could barely stand without feeling like I was going to lose my footing. This should be interesting.

The rest of the room was dark, but as we stepped out on the floor, all the colored lights started flashing. I looked at John, and he just looked like he was having the time of his life. The song "Barbie Girl" came on and I groaned. We took off at a slow pace, staying close to the wall, but by the end of the song we were picking up the pace and I was feeling a lot more comfortable.

After a couple more songs, John leaned in and asked if I wanted something to drink. I nodded yes, and he skated off to the concession stand, while I searched for Anna. I found her sitting in the corner booth talking to a friend of hers from work.

"Hey Anna," I yelled at her. "Come skate with me!"

She ran over and grabbed my hand and we started off around the rink, giggling like two schoolgirls. All of a sudden, I saw that girl I couldn't place again off to the side just staring at me.

"Anna, take a look at that girl standing over there." I said. "Does she look familiar to you?"

Anna glanced behind us, and I saw her eyes widen. "Um, Tamara…do you really not recognize her?"

"I know I have seen her before but I just can't remember where." I replied.

"That is Cliff's new girlfriend. Or at least she was when they came over to drop off your stuff nine months ago. I wonder why she's here."

At that moment, my eyes focused on the one man I thought I would never have to see again. Cliff was here, of course. My heart dropped to my stomach, and I started shaking so bad I thought I was going to fall over.

"Anna, we have to go. Now." I whispered.

She started to ask why, but trailed off when she saw the reason I was so upset. "Just let me at him. I've been wanting to tell the guy off ever since I found out how horribly he treated you."

She started off, but I pulled her back. "No, just help me get to the bathroom."

As we walked off the floor, I saw the girl, Mikala was her name, whisper to Cliff and point in my direction. When he saw me, he got up and started moving across the room in our direction. I ran into the bathroom and shut the door.

"Anna, please go get John and Randy and tell them what's going on and that we need to leave. I will be all right here for a few minutes." I asked her.

"Okay, but are you sure you will be all right?" She couldn't mask the concern in her voice.

"Yes, but hurry."

As she left, I sank to the floor and covered my face with my hands. I had worked so hard to push every memory of Cliff out of my mind, but now here he was and the terror of the two and a half years I had spent with him came rushing back. That man was pure evil, and I wanted to be as far away from him as possible.

The bathroom door started to open and I got up to straighten myself up. "Thank goodness you're back. Did you find them?"

"No, but I found you." Said a voice I knew all too well, as two strong hands closed around my throat.


	6. Chapter 6

I tried to scream, but Cliff shoved me against the wall. "If you even think about screaming, you're going to regret it." He whispered into my ear.

At that moment, I knew the only hope I had was that Anna had made it to John and Randy and that they were on their way. I knew I had to do something to stall Cliff. I went limp and sunk to the floor. That startled him, but only for a second. He was on top of me again, and angrier than before.

"You bitch. Why are you fighting me? Isn't this what you wanted? You cheated on me, and then tried everything to get me back. Well, now you have me." He started tearing at my clothes.

"I never cheated on you." I choked out.

"You're still sticking to that story? Well whatever you want to believe, I guess. But I know the truth."

"Your friends were wrong. I never cheated on you and you're also wrong about me wanting you. I now see what a horrible man you really are. And if you want to live, you had better leave now." I said as calmly as I could. I wanted to just break down and cry, but I knew that's what he wanted.

He started laughing and the look in his eyes scared me. I had never seen a crazy person before, but I was pretty sure I was looking at one now. "Do you really think you scare me? I was in the military. You and your friends are no match for me, and you know it."

I closed my eyes and prayed that somehow the guys would get to me in time. At that moment I heard a knock on the bathroom door, and Anna's voice asking me if I was alright and why she couldn't get in.

Cliff put his hand over my mouth. "If you say a word, I will snap your neck." I nodded that I understood, and we just stood there for a few seconds in silence. I could hear rustling outside the door and then, the door burst open as John and Randy kicked it in and rushed Cliff, throwing him to the floor.

Anna ran over to me, and held me as I started shaking and crying violently. "Are you alright? That bastard…" She glared at him. "I knew I shouldn't have left you alone. I'm so sorry."

"I'm fine." I managed to get out.

I looked over at Cliff, who was looking in pretty bad shape at the moment. Randy was holding him against the wall. John walked over to me and just held me for a few minutes until I stopped shaking. He took my face in his hand and looked deep into my eyes. "You don't have to worry about him bothering you anymore. I think he knows that if he tries that on any woman again, that Randy and I will be his worst nightmare." He glanced over at Cliff. "Right?" Cliff just glared at him.

"I think we've taught this dumbass enough of a lesson for tonight." Randy smirked, and I could tell he was enjoying this, just a little. He shoved Cliff out of the bathroom. "Better run while you can!" He called after him.

Anna grabbed my things and the guys escorted me out of the bathroom, through the crowd who was now gathered, and back outside. What a night it had been. I felt like it was all a dream, although I knew it wasn't.


	7. Chapter 7

We finally arrived back home after what seemed like eternity. It had been an extremely quiet and uncomfortable ride back. I knew John was still foaming at the mouth over what Cliff had done to me, and it took quite a bit of fast talking to convince him not to involve the police. I just wanted the nightmare to end, and I knew Cliff was too much of a coward to attempt anything else.

Anna helped me get changed and ready for bed, and we went back out to the living room where the guys were waiting. I could tell they didn't want to leave us after the events of the evening, and I was right.

"Tamara, I hope you and Anna don't mind, but Randy and I are staying here tonight. Not that it would do you any good to argue. We just want to be sure he's not going to try anything else." John was pacing as he said this, and I knew better than to say anything at this point.

"We're definitely cool with that, aren't we, Tamara?" Anna stated. "I know! We'll make the rest of the night a fun night in! Come on Randy, you and I have an errand to run." She exclaimed, as she practically dragged him out the door.

John came over and sat next to me on the couch and started rubbing my shoulders. I closed my eyes, and tried to relax. "Wow hon, your shoulders are so tight. Lie down and let me take care of you for a bit."

I didn't say a word, just stretched out and let him work his magic while I drifted in and our of consciousness. It was so nice to be pampered and taken care of. I had never had a guy treat me like this because he wanted to and not because he thought he would get anything in exchange. I could remember begging Cliff to treat me with more respect, and he had just stared at me like I was crazy and asked why he should and what he would get out of it. Yeah, I really picked some winners.

After a while, John stopped rubbing my shoulders and laid down next to me. I snuggled up against him. He was so big and strong and _warm. _I felt him move the hair back from my neck and place a kiss on it. He kissed my neck a few more times, and suddenly I was rolled over and his lips were on mine. The man was a hell of a good kisser and I could definitely get used to this..

We both started when Anna and Randy came bursting through the door, alcohol, chips, and movies in hand. They stopped and stared when they saw us, then gave each other a knowing smile.

"We got provisions." Anna stated, holding it all up for us to see. "Let's get this party started!"John and I didn't have to be told twice. We all settled in and popped Gone in 60 Seconds in the DVD player. John and Randy high-fived. "Fast cars, adventure, and one seriously hot woman…oh, yeah!" Randy said, and Anna fake punched him.

By the end of the movie, we were all a bit toasted, and definitely all ready for bed. Randy claimed the couch in the living room, although I think we all knew that's not where we would find him in the morning, and John followed me into my bedroom. "I'll take the floor." He told me. "But you're not sleeping in here alone tonight."

I could feel my face turn red. "If you don't mind, I think I would feel safer if you would just hold me tonight." It was hard to meet his eyes, but he just looked at me and nodded. We climbed into bed, and I immediately fell asleep, held fast in the arms of a gorgeous man.


	8. Chapter 8

It seemed like I had just fallen asleep, when something woke me up. I looked over at John, who was sitting straight up looking around the room. He saw that I was awake, and placed a finger to his lips, warning me not to say a word. My heart stopped, and I shrank down beneath the covers. John quietly slipped out of bed and over to the door, turning the handle slowly. He crept out of the room, leaving the door open just a crack.

I held my breath. I didn't know what he had heard, but I had a bad feeling about it. I waited what seemed like an eternity. All of a sudden, there was a crash that came from the direction of the kitchen and I could hear John yelling at someone. "Tamara, come here!" He called to me a few seconds later.

I ran into the kitchen, knowing what I would find, and I was right. John was down on the kitchen floor, and he had Cliff pinned beneath him. There was broken glass everywhere. "Call the cops." He told me. "I know you didn't want to get them involved, but this dumbass here obviously doesn't get the picture. I'm thinking he needs some time behind bars to figure it out." Cliff snarled and started trying to fight, but John held him firm. I nodded silently, and went to grab my phone. I walked past Anna and Randy, who were standing in the kitchen doorway half naked, gaping at the scene before them.

After the police had gone, taking Cliff with them, I finally got to sit down to try and process everything. I looked at John. "What happened?" I asked him.

"Well, I wasn't asleep. I had a feeling he might try to come here, so I stayed awake. I'm glad I did, because about 3:00 I heard the lock turn on the back door."

My eyes widened. "He must have had another copy of my key. He gave me the one back that he had."

John nodded. "He definitely wasn't expecting me to be here. He tried to run the other way when he saw me, but I cornered him. Sorry about the mess in the kitchen. I will help you clean it up in the morning and replace whatever I need to."

I just looked at him, tears threatening to spill down my face, and I started to shake. He grabbed me, and just held me until I had calmed down. "Come on, baby. Let's go back to bed. We can both sleep now, knowing that that lunatic is behind bars and won't hurt you anymore."

He picked me up in his big, strong arms and carried me back to the bed. I was too wound up to sleep though, and as one thing lead to another, the events of the night quickly became nothing more than a bad memory…


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. This was my first attempt at writing fan fiction, so any suggestions are appreciated. Hope you all enjoyed this!**

The next morning, I rolled over to find John already awake just watching me.

"Hi." I mumbled sleepily.

"Good morning beautiful." He replied as he leaned in to kiss me. I melted in his arms. I didn't know how I was going to be able to let him go again after this. He was perfect. Too perfect for a mess like me.

The kiss ended but he just kept looking at me, and I could tell he was thinking about something. "What?" I asked.

"I know this might sound crazy, but I've made up my mind. I want you to come on the road with me, and be my girlfriend. After last night, I want to be able to protect you from any more crazy guys thinking they can beat up on you. You belong with me. Baby, please say you will." He looked at me with those gorgeous eyes, and I knew I couldn't say no.

"Yes, yes John! I can't imagine not being with you. It's not crazy at all baby." I smiled at him while trying to fight back the tears that were forming. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

He grinned and jumped out of bed, pulling me along with him. He picked me up and swung me around in his arms, then planted a huge kiss on my mouth. "I love you Tamara. I will help you get things ready. We leave in two days."

My eyes widened in shock and I began to laugh. "Well, here's to being spontaneous!" I exclaimed. "I'm not sure my family or friends will understand when I tell them, but I don't care. I love you, John and I want nothing more than to be with you out there."

We immediately began calling friends and family and making arrangements. I was right, a lot of people called us crazy, but then I had never been one to follow all the rules, so most of them were supportive of the decision we had made and happy that I had finally found someone who treated me well. Anna was ecstatic because Randy had also asked her to travel with him. I was happy that she had a life again, and that we would still be able to see each other a lot.

When the time came to leave, I jumped in John's truck, and never looked back. I knew I would never have to live in fear or loneliness again. The past was finally behind me, and I was excited to see what my future held. I looked over at the man on my left, and he smiled back at me. We linked hands, turned up the radio, and drove off into the sunset.


End file.
